As the sun comes over the mountain at Fountain Flats, north or Midway Geyser Basin in Yellowstone, the clouds turn gold and the thermal steam and mist from morning cold air makes the landscape a bit otherworldly.

The mingling of thermal-heated water, morning mist, and the beginning of a sunny warm day gives a surreal feel to the landscape along Firehole Lake Drive at sunrise. Except for the trees on the far right, all are dead, the consequence of silca-infused heated water runoff from Firehole Lake.